Summer of Excellence

NOTE: We will be updating the resources on the site for the next several weeks, so check back from time to time for additional resources.

Summer of ExcellenceWhile summer should be for relaxing and having fun, the best students aren't spending all summer sleeping in, hanging out with friends, playing video games or binge-watching their favorite shows. For the best students--just like the best athletes--summer is a time to stay in shape (or get even stronger and faster!).

Students should spend part of their summer mastering* everything they didn't master during the year (or previous years), getting ahead, or digging deep into an academic area they really enjoyed during the year, but didn't have much time for. (NOTE: Students going into 3rd, 5th or 8th grade should focus most of their time on math.)

Here's a rough guide for how many hours students should spend this summer on learning something:

Kindergarten: 1-2

1st Grade: 2-3

2nd Grade: 3-4

3rd Grade: 4-5

4th Grade: 4-5

5th Grade: 4-5

6th Grade: 5-6

7th Grade: 6-7

8th Grade: 7-8

9th Grade: 9-10

10th Grade: 10+

11th Grade: 10+

12th Grade: 10+

(NOTE: Students going into grades K-10 should focus mostly on academics; students going into grades 11-12 may focus mostly on career-related learning if they have demonstrated they are on track to being college and career ready.)

RESOURCES Below are a variety of free online resources students can use:

*How can you tell if your child has mastered something? They will miss few or no questions, make few or no mistakes, and produce a high-quality product almost every time. Mastery takes a lot of work, but also produces a lot of pride and satisfaction.